Have I made a big mistake?

[FamilyCruiserUK]

42 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Or you will do what most of us do and find a cruise line that suits your needs

 But to others the lack of what you desire is what makes P&O their winner.

Last time I looked Skeggy Butlins was full of water slides etc just like Royal who you sail with.

Problem is if  P&O copied Royal then all the ships would be samey and both expensive ?

 

@Ichabod123  Are you out of curiosity  keeping your P&O or changing it to Cunard 

to go with your other booking in March 25 ?🤔

Exactly, people have lots of diffeent choices and what they want from a cruise. 

For us as a family with a child P&O only works for us for the cheapness. So i am not expecting a high level of food or service. 

 

 

[zap99]

19 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Exactly, people have lots of diffeent choices and what they want from a cruise. 

For us as a family with a child P&O only works for us for the cheapness. So i am not expecting a high level of food or service. 

 

 

You may be pleasantly surprised.

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, daiB said:

I have been on many cruises as you can see. I have no moans about any ship or cruise. But that is just me.

Yes it is just you Dai, you are absolutely correct in that. 

 

I have also been on many cruises, probably many more than you and with numerous different cruise lines.  I have to say I have enjoyed all of them all (except the one with the fire).
 

I can however still make fair comparisons between both the offerings  from different lines and the offerings between past and present cruises on the same line (taking due cognisance of price differentials between past and present).

 

[daiB]

2 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Yes it is just you Dai, you are absolutely correct in that. 

 

I have also been on many cruises, probably many more than you and with numerous different cruise lines.  I have to say I have enjoyed all of them all (except the one with the fire).
 

I can however still make fair comparisons between both the offerings  from different lines and the offerings between past and present cruises on the same line (taking due cognisance of price differentials between past and present).

 

How on earth has the fact that you have been on more cruise lines effect the fact that i don't complain about my cruises. Sorry the word is moan. Why on earth would anyone moan about not getting a pillow chocolate. Or any of the minor moans we here.

[Eglesbrech]

13 minutes ago, daiB said:

How on earth has the fact that you have been on more cruise lines effect the fact that i don't complain about my cruises. Sorry the word is moan. Why on earth would anyone moan about not getting a pillow chocolate. Or any of the minor moans we hear.

By that measure why would the fact that you have been on “many cruises as you can see” count. I was simply following your lead.

 

Your  word is “moan”, mine would be discernment. 

[zap99]

51 minutes ago, daiB said:

How on earth has the fact that you have been on more cruise lines effect the fact that i don't complain about my cruises. Sorry the word is moan. Why on earth would anyone moan about not getting a pillow chocolate. Or any of the minor moans we here.

We have been on about 40 cruises. The one we didn't enjoy was.....nah, we enjoyed them all. Some more than others. But hey...we are not at work and are mandering around the oceans relaxing.

[Fraann]

I have been on many cruises and thought a change to a land based holiday would make a change. I can’t find anything that offers the variety of places/experiences/dining/entertainment that a cruise offers for a comparable price. There may have been some benefits that have disappeared, eg pillow chocolates, but do they really matter?  

[Eglesbrech]

2 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Some more than others

Exactly. Some are better than others. They are not all the same, they did not all cost the same. It’s perfectly acceptable to provide constructive criticism.

[daiB]

42 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

By that measure why would the fact that you have been on “many cruises as you can see” count. I was simply following your lead.

 

Your  word is “moan”, mine would be discernment. 

If you had read the thread you would know that the word moan is no mine I was replying to the OP. But of course like many times before I am taken out of context.

[Eglesbrech]

1 minute ago, daiB said:

If you had read the thread you would know that the word moan is no mine I was replying to the OP. But of course like many times before I am taken out of context.

 

 

1 hour ago, daiB said:

Sorry the word is moan

 

I did read the thread.

 

I also read it in the context of you proclaiming you had been on many cruises and had “no moans” which is why I responded as I did.

 

One persons moan is another person taste and discernment. What you might find acceptable, I may not (and visa versa).

 

Have a pleasant evening Dai.

 

 

[kalos]

I am just happy that I now have time to cruise and the only moan I had was that 

our work got in the way that stopped us from doing more .

Some folk love to moan ,my mate was bending my ear about a mug of tea £1.50

and a ham sandwich costing £2.50.

I told him ,he does not have to eat or drink when he visits me .😉🙃

 

As Zapp said  "some are better than others but  we have enjoyed all " 

[john watson]

I think the problem with newbies selecting cruises and cruise lines is that they have very little idea of how the different lines vary.  One's first ever cruise will likely be amazing but in reality it might be an average or below par affair.  Not having a comparison might well lead to rebooking same line with loyalty offerings.  A problem newcomers used to have but probably not such a big issue is walking in the travel agents with information of what they like and being offered a cheaper cruise which they then dislike.  I have a good idea of what to look for and what I dislike and nowadays look at Princess, Cunard and P&O as a basic cruise that suits me.  I have done other lines and some were not what I prefer.  I enjoyed those cruises but avoid rebooking. For me it has never been a moan as this just drags you down to looking at the cruise negatively while on board.  

 

Regards John

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

I washed my hands of P&O in 2022 after being totally unimpressed with cuts to service and standards. I had booked 2 cruises costing over £11,000 on Aurora for 2024 but decided to cancel them. I used the money saved to purchase 3 cruises on Sky Princess and Caribbean Princess totalling 42 nights which cost me only £7,300. The ship, service and entertainment was imho 100% better. 

Edited August 18 by PRINCESSTHE BEST

[Ichabod123]

In response to post 25 (I don't know how to quote previous posts), I will be cruising with P&O over Christmas (2024) and then, in March, 2025, I have a short (4 night) cruise booked with Cunard. I will then be able to make an informed decision.

 

Thank you all for your comments 🙂

[Josy1953]

2 hours ago, Ichabod123 said:

In response to post 25 (I don't know how to quote previous posts), I will be cruising with P&O over Christmas (2024) and then, in March, 2025, I have a short (4 night) cruise booked with Cunard. I will then be able to make an informed decision.

 

Thank you all for your comments 🙂

 

To quote another post :

 

At the bottom of the of the post that you want to my will see a + sign with the word Quote next to it.  Simply click on the word Qoute and it will insert the post that you want to quote into your post..

 

[Camberley]

3 hours ago, Ichabod123 said:

In response to post 25 (I don't know how to quote previous posts), I will be cruising with P&O over Christmas (2024) and then, in March, 2025, I have a short (4 night) cruise booked with Cunard. I will then be able to make an informed decision.

 

Thank you all for your comments 🙂

I am sure you will find so much to enjoy if you do cruise with P&O. It’s very different to Cunard in tone, atmosphere & a chunk of the demographic but for any potential issues some of us have with P& O (mostly subjective!) it is undeniably really good value.
 

Now like your initial post re:P&O, we were toying loosely with cancelling our first Cunard cruise, but for us it was because of our perception of the snobbishness and the like that really dominates the Cunard online forums and FB pages etc (but they’re great to take with a pinch of salt: like most opinions on the forums). BUT we found none of that snobbishness when we sailed with Cunard and found it wonderful: nicely elevated but still very down to earth etc…a refreshingly different experience than the one the online forum world seems to perpetuate! So I think you will find any of your initial misgivings over P&O, too, not to be an issue when you board your P& O cruise.

Edited August 19 by Camberley

[Ichabod123]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

 

To quote another post :

 

At the bottom of the of the post that you want to my will see a + sign with the word Quote next to it.  Simply click on the word Qoute and it will insert the post that you want to quote into your post..

 

Thank you!!

[kalos]

4 hours ago, Ichabod123 said:

In response to post 25 (I don't know how to quote previous posts), I will be cruising with P&O over Christmas (2024) and then, in March, 2025, I have a short (4 night) cruise booked with Cunard. I will then be able to make an informed decision.

 

Thank you all for your comments 🙂

 

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas cruise  with P&O and I'm sure you will love the 

Cunard Queen Victoria ,she is one very pretty ship . (We love her)

Thank you for your reply - Take care .

[zap99]

20 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Exactly. Some are better than others. They are not all the same, they did not all cost the same. It’s perfectly acceptable to provide constructive criticism.

I agree, but can't remember constructively criticising any of them.

 

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Camberley said:

I am sure you will find so much to enjoy if you do cruise with P&O. It’s very different to Cunard in tone, atmosphere & a chunk of the demographic but for any potential issues some of us have with P& O (mostly subjective!) it is undeniably really good value.
 

Now like your initial post re:P&O, we were toying loosely with cancelling our first Cunard cruise, but for us it was because of our perception of the snobbishness and the like that really dominates the Cunard online forums and FB pages etc (but they’re great to take with a pinch of salt: like most opinions on the forums). BUT we found none of that snobbishness when we sailed with Cunard and found it wonderful: nicely elevated but still very down to earth etc…a refreshingly different experience than the one the online forum world seems to perpetuate! So I think you will find any of your initial misgivings over P&O, too, not to be an issue when you board your P& O cruise.

Our friends encouraged us to Cruise for years..Gin and IT before dinner, eat with the Captain if you're lucky, or an officer will visit your table for a chat, a chance to dress up every night....not for us. Our first couple of cruises was with Ocean Cruises, then Ocean Village and NCL..Celebrity, P&O and RC are OK as you can skip the formal nights. We still dress formally when we cruise with the in-laws.. Cunard and Saga have no interest for us.

[Angel57]

@Ichabod123 personally I would give P&O a go.
A holiday is what you make it. There are always a few who will see the negatives at every turn and there are others who think P&O are the best thing since sliced bread. To be honest it is somewhere in the middle.

I went on Iona this year (having been mostly loyal to the smaller ships like Aurora). I did wonder why on earth I had booked it when I read some of the comments - but I went and really enjoyed it and have booked to go on her again.

Yes, I enjoyed the officers at the table, the cocktail parties, the fabulous food of 35+ years ago, but do I want that now? Probably not. Times have changed, and so has cruising. I think even the high end lines like Seabourn has changed.

Please let us know what you decide and how it goes!

 

Edited August 19 by Angel57

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, zap99 said:

I agree, but can't remember constructively criticising any of them.

 

So do you never fill in the questionnaires they send Zapp? Fair enough if you don’t, it can sometimes feel like a complete waste of time and ink for many companies.

[zap99]

15 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

So do you never fill in the questionnaires they send Zapp? Fair enough if you don’t, it can sometimes feel like a complete waste of time and ink for many companies.

I don't fill in many post purchase questionnaires.  They are there to fulfil their iso 9001 obligations.

[bbtablet]

On 8/18/2024 at 7:19 PM, Eglesbrech said:

 

 

 

I did read the thread.

.............

One persons moan is another person taste and discernment. What you might find acceptable, I may not (and visa versa).

 

Have a pleasant evening Dai.

 

 

Oh no! What's this?- not another administrative hoop to jump through, surely! - (visa versa).

[Red Ray]

On 8/18/2024 at 9:09 PM, PRINCESSTHE BEST said:

I washed my hands of P&O in 2022 after being totally unimpressed with cuts to service and standards. I had booked 2 cruises costing over £11,000 on Aurora for 2024 but decided to cancel them. I used the money saved to purchase 3 cruises on Sky Princess and Caribbean Princess totalling 42 nights which cost me only £7,300. The ship, service and entertainment was imho 100% better. 

And yet here you are on the P&O board....🙄